Winding apparatus with automatic bobbin-change



1955 w. SIEGENTHALER 2,723,528

WINDING APPARATUS WITH AUTOMATIC BOBBIN-CHANGE Filed July 21, i953 4Sheets-Sheet 1 IN VE N TOR 5 W41 72-79 J /t' 6271 7 6441 5/? Dec. 27,1955 w. SIEGENTHALER 2,728,523

WINDING APPARATUS WITH AUTOMATIC BOBBIN-CHANGE Filed July 21, 1953 4Sheets-Sheet 2 Dec. 27, 1955 w. SIEGENTHALER 2,728,528

WINDING APPARATUS wrra AUTOMATIC BOBBIN-CHANGE Filed July 21, 1953 4Sheets-Sheet 3 FIG.5

IN VEN TOR IWG APPARATUS WITH AUTOMATIC BOBBlN-CHANGE WaiterSiegenthaler, Erlenbach, Switzerland, assignor to MaschinenfabriitScllarer, Erlenbach, Switzerland This invention relates to windingapparatus with automatic bobbin-change and conveyer arrangementdelivering full bobbins to a removable bobbin magazine. According to theinvention the winding apparatus is associated with an individualconveyer arrangement including a slide member automatically movingaccording to the operating rhythm of the apparatus and carrying atilting bobbin catcher, the working stroke of the slide member andbobbin catcher being determined in cooperation with tr e bottom or thebobbin content of the individual magazine associated with the windingapparatus, for delivering the bobbin owing to tilting movement of thebobbin catcher so that the bobbin rolls oil in transverse direction fromthe bobbin catcher which latter subsequently is returned by said slidemember into its initial bobbin receiving position.

The arrangement according to the invention permits a neat, regularstacking of Weft bobbins in any number of superposed rows in bobbinmagazines, and in such manner, that the bobbins in the respectivemagazine automatically become aligned with respect to the base of thebobbin, and Without any danger of damaging the package as a result ofthe bobbins falling down freely at some point of the conveying path, asis the case in convention al bobbin delivering devices, which dangernaturally increases with increased fineness of the yarn wound on thebobbin. Thus, when several winding apparatus are combined in a machine,each apparatus may operate with material individual with respect to itsquality, be it with respect to the number of the yarn or to the color ofit or to both; accordingly the individual bobbin magazine is suppliedonly with bobbins carrying yarn of the same quality. This fact, as wellas the mentioned regular stacking of the bobbins in aligned superposedrows in each individual magazine constitutes a correspondingsimplification of the subsequent handling of the bobbins before and upontheir insertion into the weft shuttles, making superfluous any precedingmanual work of assorting the bobbins.

The movement of the slide may be elfected from a starting or bobbinreceiving position and back to same by means of an endless conveyermember serving for temporarily supporting the slide, which member istemporarily and automatically connected in timed relation with a driveelement.

The invention will be described with reference to the accompanyingdrawings, in which:

Fig. l is a fragmentary side elevation of a winding apparatus accordingto the invention, partly shown in section, the associated conveyerarrangement being drawn in position of rest,

Fig. 2 is a View similar to Fig. l, but after the bobbin catcher hasreceived a bobbin and the conveyer has been set in motion,

Fig. 3 shows the conveyer arrangement drawn to a larger scale and in theposition of rest,

Figs. 4 and show the conveyer arrangement in two different positions ofoperation,

nite States Patent Patented Dec. 27, 1955 Fig. 6 shows in elevation andpartly in section a group of winding apparatus arranged in line upon acommon frame, there being represented four dilferent positions ofoperation of the apparatus.

According to Figs. 1 and 2, the Winding apparatus A has a circularrotary body vll, which is supported by means of a central shaft 2 on thecasing of the apparatus and carries three circumferentially anduniformly spaced, Winding spindles 3, each of which being destined toreceive a winding bobbin B, .for which purpose the spindles are .formedwith a bobbin retaining base 3a. The rotary body 1 is turned by means ofan intermittently operating driving device (not shown) known per se, tobring one bobbin B after the other to a working station where therespective winding spindle 3 is automatically coupled in conventionalmanner with a drive spindle (not shown), which for this reason isaxially movable in the casing of the apparatus. At the working station,a package is formed on the winding spindle B. A guide 4 secured to thecasing .of the apparatus carries an ejector 5, which in known manner isautomatically reciprocated with a predetermined stroke along .said guide4 according to the operating rhythm of the winding apparatus. The toppart .of the ejector .5 is formed as laterally projecting bobbin holder5a, which as shown in Fig. 1 may be pushed with circumferentialclearance over a full bobbin B1, upon being shifted in the directiontowards the case of the apparatus, which bobbin, owing to a turningmovement of the rotary bodyl, has been brought into corresponding bobbinchange position. When being subsequently shifted in a direction oppositeto that before mentioned, the ejector 5 lifts the bobbin B1 off thespindle in a known manner, in order to release it at the end of thestroke, whereupon the bobbin B1 drops down into an oblong bobbin catcheror catching cradle 6. The cradle 6 (Fig. 6) is mounted with onelongitudinal edge thereof for tilting movement on a rod '7 having afront plate 8, which at its end opposite the rod 7 is formed with atransversely directed abutmentSa ('Fig. 6), against which the cradle 6normally bears. At the underside of the cradle 6 a triangular feeler 9is suspended in the manner of a pendulum from an angle piece 10 by meansof a fastening hook; in normal position of the feeler 9, one triangularside thereof is situated below.

11 designates an upstanding box of square cross section, having its wall12 remote from the casing of the apparatus provided with a vertical slot12a (Fig. 6). A guide rod 13 disposed in the 'box 11 faces the slot 12a;the removably arranged box wall 12'is omitted in Figs. 3-5. A slide 14'is arranged on the guide rod 13 and the slot 12a assists in guiding theslide 14, since the latter projects through this slot 12a out of the boxwall 12. The slide 14 has an outer bent-off arm 14a, from which extendsan upwardly protruding arm 14b carrying on the top an extension formedby the rod 7 and the front plate 8 (Fig. l and Fig. 6). The arm 14a ofthe slide 14 carries an abutment roll 15 for coaction with a controlarmio. This control arm 16 is mounted on an axle 17 carried by a bearingsleeve 18 of the box 11 (Fig. 6); a link 19 is mounted on the portion ofthe axle '17 extending into the box 11; this link 19, together with thementioned control arm 16 thus forms a bell crank control lever. Theupwardly directed arm 16 of the control lever 16, 17, 19 is connected bymeans of a chain 20 and a tension spring 21 with the bobbin ejector 5.The link 19 of the control lever carries a lateral abutment roll 22(Fig. 5) coacting with a locking lever '23 having two locking notches23a and 23b. The locking lever 23 is journalled on a bolt 24 fixed tothe box 11 and loaded by a tension spring 25, which holds the lockinglever 23 in engagement. with the abutment roll 22 of the control arm 19.According to Figs. 1 and 3 this abutment roll 22 is in engagement withthe lower notch 23a of the locking lever 23, whereby the control lever16, 17, 19 is maintained in the position of rest. 26 is an endlesschain, which travels over lower and upper sprocket wheels 28, eachjournalled on a bolt 27. The upperbearing bolt 27 is rigidly secured tothe box 11, while the lower bolt 27 is carried by the locking lever 23and, moreover, supports a gear wheel 30 rigidly connected with the lowersprocket wheel 28. The latter is destined for temporary cooperation witha drive wheel 32 mounted on a shaft 31. The shaft 31 is journalled on abracket of frame 33, to which the box 11 is attached.

Upon operation of the winding apparatus the drive wheel 30 iscontinuously rotated by the driving mechanism of the apparatus,including a chain drive 34 (see arrow in Figs. 1, 2). By means of apivoting movement of the locking lever 23 about its journal bolt 24, thegear wheel 30 journalled on the lever can be brought into or out ofengagement with the drive wheel 32 (see Figs. 2 and 4, or 1 and 3) forthe purpose of temporarily driving the endless chain 26, serving asconveyer member for the slide 14; in reality, when the gear wheel 30 isdisengaged, the side of the conveyer chain 26, located at the left withreference to Figs. 1 and 3 is loose, in order to enable the gear wheel30 (see arrow in Fig. 3) to be swung into mesh with gear wheel 32 bymeans of the locking lever 23. A retaining pawl 30a journalled on thelever 23 is in engagement with the gear wheel 30, which pawl prevents abackward rotation of the wheel 39, so that the conveyer chain 26 can bemoved only in the direction indicated by arrows. The conveyer chain 26carries a laterally projecting abutment bolt 35 which serves forcooperation with the slide 14.

The frame 33 has secured thereto a supporting board 36 which accordingto Fig. 6 extends over the length of four winding apparatus A I to IVarranged along the same longitudinal side of the frame 33 and having acommon motor drive, so that a single winding machine having a pluralityof winding apparatus as described is formed. The supporting board 36serves for the reception of as many bobbin magazines 37 as winders A areprovided; a magazine 37 is arranged on the supporting board 36 inproximity of each winder A, to which magazine the full bobbins from thecorresponding winding apparatus A are to be individually delivered bymeans of the described conveyer arrangement. The magazines 37 of uniformconstruction are open towards the top and also at the side facing thecasing of the apparatus. Since the winders are associated each with itsown magazine, just as many yarns, diifering with respect to quality fromeach other, may be simultaneously wound on the machine, each kind ofyarn being delivered to its particular magazine by means of which theweft bobbins ready for use are kept in storage or, when required, arebrought to the weaving loom. By reason of the fact that the magazine 37is open at one side adjacent one end of the collected bobbins, the spacerequirement of the magazine 37 can be reduced to a minimum, while on theother hand the delivery of the bobbins is facilitated and also theremoval of same for use.

Upon operation of the machine, the bobbin B1, removed by the ejectorfrom a single winding apparatus A, is deposited on the correspondingcradle 6. The cradle 6, normally resting with one end upon the abutmentwall 8a of the associated extension 7, 8 and being somewhat upwardlycurved at its other end, bears by the intermediary of the slide 14against the abutment bolt 35 provided on the conveyer chain 26 andlocated slightly below the vertex of the upper sprocket wheel 28; asseen in Figs. 1 and 3, the cradle 6 is then situated on a level close tothe bobbin holder 5a of the ejector 5. The bobbin B1, dropping from thebobbin holder 5a, thus falls only for a short distance in order toarrive at the cradle 6 of arc-shaped cross section; the position 'of thebobbin B1 in the cradle 6 is in so far predetermined as the base of thebobbin,

. 4 formed for locating the bobbin in the weaving shuttle, will bereceived in the cap-shaped upwardly arched end portion of the cradle 6.The gear wheel 30 of the locking lever 33 first is out of engagementwith the stationary drive wheel 32, so that the conveyer chain 26carrying the abutment bolt 35 for the slide 11 is at rest; the roll 22of link 19, according to Figs. 1 and 3, is then engaged in the lowernotch 23a of the locking lever 23. When shifting of the ejector 5 in thedirection away from the casing of the apparatus is effected fordepositing the bobbin Br into the cradle 6, the, connecting chain 20attached to this ejector 5, is tensioned whereby the control lever 16,17, 19 according to Figs. 1 and 3 is turned in its bearing sleeve 18 inclockwise direction, and the spring 21 is stretched. The abutment roll22 of the link 19 then engages the upper notch 23b of the locking lever23, thus producing a pivoting movement of the locking lever 23 on itsbearing bolt 24, whereby the gear wheel 30 carried by the locking lever23 is brought into mesh with the drive wheel 32 and consequently theconveyer chain 26 is driven in the direction of the indicated arrow. Theabutment bolt 35 of the conveyer chain 26 supporting the slide 14 israised while passing over the upper guiding wheel 28 of the conveyerchain 26, and then moves downwardly; accordingly, after a short raisingof the slide 14 together with the extension 7, 8 carrying the cradle 6,these parts move downwardly. When during this lowering movement thefreely suspended feeler 9 situated lower than the extension 7, 8, hits asufficiently solid resistance, be it the bottom of the magazine 37 or(as indicated by dot and dash-lines in Fig. 2) at least one bobbin B2previously placed into the magazine 37, then the tilting movement of thecradle 6 about the rod 7 is initiated, as it is assumed in Fig. 6 forthe magazine 37 of the winding apparatus A III; an abutment may beprovided for limiting the tilting movement of the cradle 6. During thismovement of the cradle 6, the bobbin B1 carried by it, rolls down intransverse direction over the path offered to it by the cradle bottom,in order to assume in the shortest way its place in the magazine 37, aswill be readily understood; the bobbins placed in the magazine 37, asalready mentioned, are designated by B2.

As it follows without other than the preceding description, thedelivered bobbins B2 will automatically be placed in the magazine 37side by side and one upon another, so that neatly stacked layers ofbobbins are produced, all bobbins facing with their base (provided inknown mannor with metal rings) toward the open side of the magazine 37,as Figs. 1 and 2 demonstrate. Along the described conveying path for theindividual bobbin led to the cellector 37, there is no opportunity forthe bobbin winding to come in contact with metal parts.

When the cradle 6 has been tilted out of its normal position, theextension 7, 8 carrying the cradle 6, while the slide 14 continues itsdownward movement, also will strike against solid resistance ofiered inthe magazine 37, as it will be readily understood from the precedingexplanations. Then the extension 7, 8 and the cradle 6 cannot be loweredany further, so that the slide 14 is stopped in its downward movement;on the other hand the abutment bolt 35 provided for the slide 14 travelsfurther with the conveying chain 26, in order to move upwardly afterhaving terminated its descending stroke, and having passed around thelower guiding wheel 28 of the conveyor chain 26. Upon its upward strokethe abutment bolt 35 of the conveyer chain 26 strikes from below againstthe slide 14, which is then taken along and thus moved upwardly again.During this upward movement, the abutment roll 15 of the slide 14, asresults from Fig. 5, strikes against the upper arm 16 of the controllever 16, 17, 19 which consequently is swung back into its position ofrest (Figs. 1, 3); in the meantime the bobbin-ejector 5 has beenautomatically moved into its end position, adjacent to the casing of theapparatus in order to receive again a full bobbin B1 having been broughtby the rotary member 1 into a position to be engaged by the ejector.During the mentioned backward swinging of the control lever 16, 17, 19the abutment roll 22 of its lower arm 19 again engages the notch 23:: ofthe locking lever 23 and returns this lever into a position 16 shown indotted lines in Figs. 1 and 3. Owing to this swinging movement of thelever 23 the gear wheel journalled thereon is brought out of mesh withthe drive wheel 32, whereby movement of the conveyer chain 26 isstopped. At this moment the abutment bolt attached to the conveyer chain26 and carrying the slide 14 has reached again its starting position andthe entire conveyer arrangement occupies its initial position of restaccording to Figs. 1 and 3. With the beginning of the next followingautomatic shifting of the bobbin-ejector 5 in the direction away fromthe casing of the apparatus, the described operation is repeated.

As it is readily understood, the bobbin conveyor arrangement, withrespect to details, may also be constructed diiferently than shown inthe drawings.

Various changes and modifications may be made without departing from thespirit and scope of the present invention and it is intended that suchobvious changes and modifications be embraced by the annexed claims.

Having thus described the invention, what is claimed as new and desiredto be secured by Letters Patent, is:

1. In winding apparatus with automatic bobbin change; a bobbin magazine,a conveyer arrangement for delivering full bobbins to said bobbinmagazine, said conveyer arrangement including a slide member adapted toautomatically move in accordance with the operating rhythm of theapparatus, a bobbin catcher tiltably carried by said slide member, meansfor determining the working stroke of said slide member and bobbincatcher in cooperation with the bobbin content of said bobbin magazine,means for producing a tilting movement of said bobbin catcher at the endof the working stroke of the slide member to cause a bobbin carried bysaid bobbin catcher to transversely roll off therefrom into themagazine, and means for subsequently returning the bobbin catcher withsaid slide member to its initial bobbin receiving position.

2. In winding apparatus with automatic bobbin change; a bobbin magazine,a conveyor arrangement for delivering full bobbins to said bobbinmagazine, said conveyer arrangement including an endless conveyermember, driving means for said conveyer member, means for temporarilycoupling said driving means to the conveyer member, a slide memberconnected to said endless conveyer member for temporary movementtherewith, a bobbin catcher tiltably carried by said slide member, meansfor determining the working stroke of said slide member and bobbincatcher in cooperation with the bobbin content of said magazine, meansfor producing a tilting movement of said bobbin catcher when said slidemember is approaching the end of its working stroke to cause a bobbincarried by the bobbin catcher to transversely roll off therefrom intothe magazine, and means for subsequently returning the bobbin catcherwith said slide member to its initial bobbin receiving position.

3. Winding apparatus according to claim 2, wherein said endless conveyermember is provided with a laterally projecting abutment adapted tosupport said slide member and to temporarily move said slide memberalong with the conveyer member.

4. Winding apparatus according to claim 2, wherein said conveyerarrangement includes upper and lower guide wheels for said endlessconveyer member, said conveyer member being provided with a laterallyprojecting abutment adapted to support said slide member and to movesaid slide member along with the conveyer member, said abutment beingsituated below the top of said upper guide wheel when said bobbincatcher is at rest in its initial bobbin receiving position.

5. Winding apparatus according to claim 2, wherein said conveyerarrangement includes upper and lower guide wheels for said endlessconveyer member, a pivotally mounted locking lever, a transmission wheeljournalled on said lever for transmitting driving movement to said lowerguide wheel, a stationary drive wheel, a control lever coacting withsaid locking lever to move said transmission wheel in and out ofengagement with said drive wheel, said slide member cooperating with thecontrol lever to bring said lever into a position causing the lockinglever to move said transmisson wheel out of engagement with said drivewheel and to render the conveyer arrangement inoperative.

6. Winding apparatus according to claim 2, wherein said bobbin catcheris in the form of a cradle arcuate in cross section, said cradle havinga feeler member suspended therefrom in the manner of a pendulum, saidfeeler member being operative to initiate the tilting movement of thecradle and being normally situated below said slide member.

7. Winding apparatus according to claim 2, wherein said bobbin magazineis open at one side thereof situated adjacent one end of the bobbinscollected in the magazine.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS2,247,718 Truckmann July 1, 1941 2,445,998 Drake July 27, 1948 FOREIGNPATENTS 431,144 Italy Feb. 25, 1948 831,664 Germany Feb. 14, 1952857,774 Germany Dec. 1, 1952

